Switch mechanism for railways.



Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

3 $HEET$-SHEET L Mr Tlzomaslgfieggl e T. B. HEGGIE.

SWITCH MECHANISM FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION men AUG, 28. I916. RENEWED SEPT. 11. 1918.

1,281,567. Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- p 43 5 39 40 Ii 41 14 ml n" T'lzonzas H8193 i T. B. HEGGIE.

SWITCH MECHANISM FOR RAILWAYS.

- APPLICATION HLED AUGZB. IBIB. RENEWED SEPT. H. 1918. 1,281,567, Patented 00t.15, 1918 3 SHEETS-SHEET3.

THOMAS B; HEGGIE, 0F WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA.

swrron MECHANISM ron RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

Application filed August 28, 1916, Serial No. 117,315. Renewed. September 11, 1918. Serial No. 253,609.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs B. Hnoern, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVinston-Salem, in the county of Forsyth and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Switch Mechanism for Railways, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to switch mechanism for railways and more particularly to the class of automatic switch mechanism and operating device therefore a The primary object of the invention is the provision of mechanism of this character wherein the switch for controlling the entrance to a siding from a main line is automatically operated and controlled from a device upon a car so that the same, can continue along the main line or take the siding of railway tracks. It is understood, of course, that the mechanism can be employed for other purposes than operating and controlling a switch, as the said mechanism can be employed for an automatic stop or to open doors or for any purposerequiring a flexible automatic movement. J

Another object of the invention is the provision of mechanism of this character wherein the construction thereof is novel in form and is under direct control by the operator of a moving car for determining the direction of travel thereof upon the track of the railroad. I

A further object of the invention is the provision of mechanism of this character wherein the switch will be automatically thrown to open or closed position for controlling the siding of the main line of the track, the device upon the car foroperating the mechanism being of novel form to assure the successful operation of the mechanism when the'car is to continue in the main line or into a siding or branch line.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of mechanism of this char acter which is simple in construction, the major, operative parts thereof being below the track bed so that the same cannot be tampered with. i

A still further object of the invention is the provision of mechanism of this character which is strong, durable, throughly reliable and efficient in its operation and inexpensive in -manufacture and installa tion. 7

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter set forth.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view showing main and side or branch tracks, with the switch mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention installed;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a car showing the switch operating device thereon in normal position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view through the switch mechanism, showing the car in position for approaching the switch;

F ig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; r

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the switch controlling mechanism.

Fig. 7 is-a sectional view on the line 77 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are detailed views of various parts of the mechanism.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates the tracks of the main line and B the tracks of the side or branch line which intersects the main line in the usual well known manner, while C designates a portion of a railway car adapted to travel upon the tracks whichis of the ordinary well known construction.

Located at the point of intersection of the side or branch line with the main line is a switch comprising a movable switch point 10 which is adapted to open and close the side or branch line relative to the main line, and this point is similarly supported upon a base 11 embedded within the road bed at the proper point of location of the switch. Formed within the road bed between the tracks A of the main line is a cellar or dug-out chamber 12 having a surface covering 13 which is readily removable so that access or communication may be had thereto, and mounted spaced from the switch in the covering 13 is a central longi tudinally slotted plate 14 having depending from its bottom face at opposite sides of the slot 15 therein guide cleats 16 in which is held a movable slide 17 formed with an upstanding abutment lug 18 which protrudes above the surface covering 13 for engagement with a switch operating device upon the car C hereinafter fully described.

Mounted within the cellar or chamber 12 at one side of the switch base 11 is a bearing 19 in which is a vertical spindle or stud shaft 20 having loosely journaled thereon a pulley 21 with a ratchet wheel 22 fast on said shaft, respectively, the wheel being superposed relative to the pulley 21 and having eccentrically pivoted thereto a throw rod 23 which is pivoted to the under face of the switch point 10 and works within a guideway 24 formed in the base 11 for the switch point. Mounted upon the pulley 21 is a spring-held ratchet dog 25 which is designed to engage with the ratchet teeth on the ratchet wheel 22 for rotating the same in one direction simultaneously with the movement of the pulley 21, but on the reverse direction of the latter the dog 25 will ride over the teeth of the ratchetwheel so that'the pulley '21 moving in the reverse direction will not operate the ratchet wheelf Connected at the periphery of the pulley 21 is a flexible member 26 which is also connected to one end of a lever 27 pivoted at 28 upon a hanger or bracket 29 stationarily mounted on the bottom of the cellar or chamber 12 at one side of the bearing, and to this lever 27 at its opposite end is connected one end of a coiled retractile spring 30 which has its opposite end stationarily mounted upon one wall of the cellar orchamber 12, the spring 30 being designed to automatically move the pulley 21 'in reversedi rection after the dog '25 has engaged with one tooth of the ratchet wheel 22 for rotating the latter, which throws'the switch to either open or closed position.

Mounted upon one wall of the cellar or chamber 12 is a distortable leaf spring 31 which is also connected to the eccentric pivot connecting the throw rod 23 with the ratchet wheel 22, and this spring serves to hold the switch in its several thrown positions, the spring being formed with a slot 32 for the eccentric pivot engaged therewith.

Formed on the pulley 21 is a wind'lass hub 33 to which is connected one end of a flexible member 34, the same being wrapped thereon several times, and has at its opposite end a hook 35 to which is detachably connected the loop end 36 of another flexible member 37, the same being trained over a guide pulley 38 supported at the under side of the cover 13 beyond one end of the slot 15 in the plate 14, the member 37 being also connected to the slide 17 so that on displacement thereof in one direction the spring 30 will return the slide to normal position after the release thereof by the operating device upon the car hereinafter fully described.

Supported upon the car C at the front end thereof is a switch operating device which comprises a trip arm 39 which at one end is swingingly supported upon a pivot 40 and at the opposite end is formed an out-turned extension 41 carrying a roller 42 and a brush 43 in advance of said roller, while intermediate the ends of the arm 39 is a depending trip wing 44, the same being adapted to project into the path of the lug 18 for engagement therewith when the roller enters a depression or groove 4-5v formed in the upper face of the cover 13 at the point of location of the plate 14, and when this wing 44 engages the lug 18 it moves the slide .17, which, through the connection thereof with the switchmechanism, will effect the automatic throwing of the switch point 10 from open to closed position or vice versa, thereby controlling the direction of travel of the car along the main line or into the siding or branch line, as will be apparent. The brush 43 serves to clean the groove 45 of any matter collected therein.

Connected with the arm 39 is a lever 46 which extends upwardly through the bottom of the car and is adapted "for engagement with a keeper 47 for the elevating of the arm 39 and thereby holding the winding 44 out of engagement with the lug 18 and also the roller 42- and brush 43 out ofcontact-with the 7 ground or the surface of the groove 45, as will be apparent. Surrounding the lever 46 and working against the floor or bottom of the car and the arm 39 is a spring 48 which automatically forces the arm 39 to lowered position when the lever 46 has been disengaged from the keeper 47, thereby bringing the switch operatingdevice in operative position for actuating the switch mechanism so that the switch can be automatically thrown for opening or closing the siding or branch line B relative to the main line A of the railway tracks.

The shaft or spindle 20 is loosely mounted in the bearing 19 and is held in said bearing by means of a washer and screw, as shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings. It will be noted that by reason of the mounting of the stud shaft the same with the ratchet wheel will work in unison while the pulley thereon is adapted to work back and forth when the ratchet wheel and stud revolve in one direction only.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a movable switch point, of a base therefor, a bearing disposed at one side of the base, a Vertical spindle mounted in the bearing, a pulley journaled upon the spindle, a ratchet wheel superposed above the pulley, ratchet means carried by the pulley and engageable with the ratchet wheel, a rod eccentrically pivoted to the ratchet wheel and also pivoted to the switch point for moving the same on rotation of the ratchet Wheel, means for locking the ratchet wheel in its adjusted position, a lever pivotally supported at one side of the bearing, a spring connected with the lever, a flexible connection between the lever and the pulley, a slide adapted to be arranged in the path of movement of the car and spaced from the switch point, connections between the slide and the pulley for rotating the same on movement of the slide, and means for operating the slide and adapted to be mounted upon the car.

2. The combination with a movable switch point, of a base therefor, a bearing disposed at one side of the base, a vertical spindle mounted in the bearing, a pulley journaled upon the spindle, a ratchet wheel superposed above the pulley, ratchet means carried by the pulley and engageable with the ratchet wheel, a rod eccent-rically pivoted to the ratchet wheel and also pivoted to the switch point for moving the same on rotation of the ratchet wheel, means for locking the ratchet wheel in its adjusted position, a

lever pivotally supported at one side of the bearing, a spring connected with the lever, a flexible connection between the lever and pulley, a slide adapted to be arranged in the path of movement of the car and spaced from the switch point, connections between the slide and the pulley for rotating the same on movement of the slide, means for operating the slide and adapted to be m0unted upon the car, and a guide for the connec tion between the slide and the pulley.

3. The combination with a switch, of controlling mechanism comprising a rotatable element, means located in the path of the car for rotating said element, a link pivoted to the switch, a leaf spring provided with a slot for engagement with a pin carried by one end of the pivotally connected link for holding said switch in its adjusted position and a car device for engagement with the rotatable element operating means.

4. The combination with a switch, of controlling mechanism comprising a rotatable element, means located in the path of the car for rotating said element, a link pivoted to the switch, means whereby, when said rotatable element is operated in one direction only it will be connected to said link to operate said switch, a distortable leaf spring connected to one end of the pivotally connected link for holding the switch in adjusted posit-ion and a car device for engage ment with the rotating element operating means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

THOMAS B. HEGGIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

